|
2007 began with the Friends of Goodale Park Board spending most of a Saturday in
early February for the Board's first strategic planning retreat. Michael Wilkos
of United Way provided the space at United Way and facilitated the session. It
was a great opportunity to assess FGP's strengths and weaknesses and focus on
the strategic plan for Goodale Park. The retreat also resulted in setting up
four standing committees: those being Planning, Outreach, Fundraising, and
Maintenance. Four Ad Hoc committees were also created specifically to address
the Tête-à-Tête Falls project, the Goodale Gates restoration, dog issues, and
Red, White and Boom.
The planning retreat then helped to focus the Board on FGP's numerous park
projects underway during the year. A top priority for FGP was maintenance of
the flower beds throughout Goodale Park. Two spring clean up events occurred
during March and April. Planting of annual flowers in eight flower beds
occurred in May with subsequent weeding and maintenance events held the
following four months. A fall clean-up of the flower beds occurred in early
November. Noteworthy this year was the absence of rain throughout the spring
and summer. Consequently, much effort was devoted to dragging hoses from
adjacent property owners across busy streets to keep plants watered. This again
called attention to the absence of water connections throughout the park. 2008
may have fewer annuals and more heat resistant perennials planted because of
increasing hot and dry conditions.
All of the bed maintenance was accomplished with a small but dedicated group of
volunteers. Noteworthy, in addition to the FGP trustees, were the following
volunteers: Greg Krobot, Joel Knepp and Linda McClannahan, George and Sue
Shellenbarger, Chris Gillespie, and Barbara Hansford-Hupman. However, Captains
are still needed for a couple of the beds so that there is one person who
accepts responsibility for oversight of that particular bed. FGP continued its
partnership with the PRIDE group of Chase Bank which not only brought
additional volunteers to help with bed maintenance but permitted the JP Morgan
Chase Foundation Volunteer Program to provide financial support for each event
that the PRIDE group participated in. ComFest funded the planting of hydrangea
and dogwoods atop the pond grotto and also paid for over 1,000 daffodil bulbs
that were planted around the park.
Thanks to the Urban Infrastructure Recovery Funding (UIRF) received in '06, a
major accomplishment this year was the completion of the shelter house terraces
with iron fencing, brick columns, benches and lighting. The result is a much
enhanced shelter house that can now be used for a broader array of functions.
FGP also focused on the re-design of the large playground. The new design will
replace the inoperable spray pool area with game tables, additional picnic
tables and new and replaced playground equipment.
UIRF funds will allow the redevelopment of the large playground to occur in the
spring of 2008. UIRF funds will also be used for the restoration and
preservation of the 1870 Goodale Gate on Goodale Blvd. near Park Street.
Consultation has occurred this year with masonry restoration companies and
preservation consultants to develop a detailed request for bids which will be
issued this winter in anticipation of work to be completed in 2008. In addition
to the UIRF funds for this project, FGP was successful in obtaining a $5,000
grant from the Community Partnership Program of the Columbus Foundation and
United Way. Additional funding is being sought to supplement the UIRF funds
which in all likelihood will not fully underwrite the cost of the project. To
minimize traffic vibration on the gate and possible collision, a bollard was
installed in the driveway at the gate to prevent cars from using this entrance
to the park. ComFest paid for the cost of the bollard and its installation.
In early 2007, FGP learned that the City of Columbus, was letting a contract to
"landscape" the Park St./Goodale Blvd. intersection. FGP lobbied hard to assure
that the principle focus of this project was the southeast corner of Goodale
Park since two of the corners are part of the concrete cap over I-670 (and are
not conducive to landscaping) and the fourth is the Greek Orthodox Church. An
advisory group of community representatives (including FGP representatives)
will review enhancement proposals during the winter with
construction/implementation to occur during 2008. FGP's goal is the creation of
an appropriate pedestrian entrance at the corner of the park that was
negatively impacted by the I-670 rebuild.
FGP again joined forces with Victorian Village Society, Doo-Dah and the
Community Festival to underwrite the cost of special duty police to protect the
park during Red, White and Boom. As a result there were no cars parked on the
grass during this year's event and volunteers helped clean up the park after
the event. Another joint venture involved the Short North Neighborhood
Foundation and Victorian Village Society each donating $2,500 to underwrite the
cost of 19 bike racks throughout the park. Thanks to Sabrina Bobrow for her
efforts in securing the funding for the bike racks and for her efforts to see
the project happen. The bike racks are to be installed this winter.
FGP also participated in the Short North Arts Festival held in Goodale Park in
September, and are grateful to Jay Snyder and ByHand Events, the organizers of
the event, for including the Friends.
Thanks to the considerable work by Beverly Mullet Randall, the Friends of
Goodale Park now has its own web site (friendsofgoodalepark.org). The site
contains a lot of great information about Goodale Park, the history of the park
as well as information about FGP. The history section includes all of the
Goodale Park history series articles that Beverly wrote for the Short North
Gazette. In addition, FGP's comprehensive tree inventory of Goodale Park is now
available on this site. Check it out!
A major focus of 2007 continued to be the Tête-à-Tête Falls. Additional grant
applications were submitted to a number of potential corporate sponsors.
American Electric Power awarded $10,000 to the project; a $10,000 grant from
the Joseph A. Jeffrey Endowment Fund was obtained; and the Community Festival
Foundation donated $10,000. The Paul Cianelli Memorial Fund in support of
Tête-à-Tête Falls now stands at over $50,000. Several grant applications are
still pending while total funds raised to date exceed $150,000. After obtaining
and reviewing proposals from two major engineering firms, the engineering firm
of Korda/Nemeth Engineering, Inc. was retained to prepare the engineering
documents and cost estimates for the project. CMS Collaborative, Inc. will
serve as water engineering consultants on the project. Negotiations are
currently underway with Columbus Art Memorial Company to serve as the general
contractor for construction. The Columbus Art Memorial Company has extensive
experience state-wide in the construction of art installations and in the
fabrication of granite structures. The Columbus Arts Commission also reviewed
and approved the design concept.
FGP held its Annual Holiday Gala on December 5 at the Harrison Park Community
Center, thanks to Wagenbrenner Realty for allowing FGP to use the facility.
This year's Gala included a silent auction of artistic items created from some
of Goodale Park's natural elements. Devon Palmer, a woodworker who lives near
the park, auctioned the initial piece of a number of creations that Devon is
making from a dying Hawthorne tree that was harvested from the park. Mr. Palmer
has offered to donate the items created from this tree to the Friends of
Goodale Park as a way of giving back to the park and acknowledging his
enjoyment of it. Dave Brigner, a horticulturist at the Franklin Park
Conservatory, harvested leaves from the lotus plants blooming in the Goodale
pond to create casted sculptures that serve as ground-level ponds and bird
baths for the garden. Dave graciously donated one of his sculptures for the
silent auction. In addition to the items created from the park's natural
elements, Tim Knapp donated a selected piece of art from The Lyle Gallery on
East Town Street.
Besides the silent auction, the Gala also included live music by The Erik Augis
Duo from the Columbus Jazz Group and a fantastic array of food and drink
donated by area restaurants and merchants (including Basi Italia, Europia,
Lemon Grass, Piece of Cake, Rigsby's, Surly Girl, Union Station, Hyde Park,
Northstar Café, Press Grill, Spinelli's Deli and Tasi's) and thanks to the
recruitment efforts of Bruce Dooley and his staff. Beautiful floral decorations
were donated by Blooms Direct. Despite the snow and cold, the event was
attended by nearly 100 people and raised over $2,400 which will support annual
park planting and maintenance and the Tete-a-Tete falls.
Regretfully, during 2007 the Board of FGP accepted the resignations of Steve
Covert and Ellen Stein. Two new Board members, Amy Kobe and Lou Venneri, have
agreed to serve on the Board. The Board now stands at full membership. Other
Board members include: Stan Sells, President; Pat Lewis, Vice President; Andy
Klein, Treasurer; Greg Maynard, Don Damron, Bradley Weatherford, Doug Swartz,
Todd Law, and Rick Frantz.
|
160 KB